Village Tells Tale Of A Mighty Royal Past

The Old Kingdom of Pejanggik was one of the most powerful and influential empires in all of Lombok’s recorded history.

The roots and reign of the kingdom can be traced through a visit to the Central Lombok village of Pejanggik, not far from Lombok’s international airport.

The village consists of around 900 households. It is relatively arid and since most households subsist on farming, it is poor. But the village is intrinsically linked to Lombok’s colourful and sometimes violent past.

The powerful Pejanggik Kingdom once extended from the east coast to the west coast, across the centre of Lombok, and co-existed with the better known Kingdom of Selaparang in the island’s east.

“Discussing the history of Lombok without reference to Pejanggik village is a big mistake,” said village chief Mustamin.

Evidence of the regal heritage of the village is found at the Seriwa complex of graves which is believed to include the tomb of the last King of Pejanggik. “Seriwa” is a term derived from the Sasak (ethnic Lombok) word “serio’”, which means to observe or see.

The King’s tomb, occupying an elevated position in a gated complex of tombs beyond a public cemetery, has existed for hundreds of years and has been declared a cultural heritage site. The complex is surrounded by very old frangipani trees.

The graveyard is in the centre of Pejanggik village, on the road between Praya in Central Lombok and Keruak in East Lombok.

“There are many versions of Pejanggik history,” said Mustamin. “But we believe that this is where the King was last viewed.” The King’s tomb is the only one that is not walled and the only one dressed with white fabric.

The sacred tomb attracts pilgrims from throughout Lombok and beyond, especially on Muslim holy days such as Eid al-Fitri (Idul Fitri in Indonesia).

As well as the royal tomb, Pejanggik village has the Toro watercourse where the King is believed to have hidden royal heirlooms. Some villagers claim to have antiques such as fabrics and home furnishings from the days of the empire.

When the waterway dries up, it attracts believers who use it as a venue for rituals.

According to historical literature, the Pejanggik Kingdom stemmed from the arrival of Deneq Putra Mas Pengendengan Segara Katon and his son, Deneq Mas Komala Sempopo, in the Rambitan area of Central Lombok. From 1648, the kingdom began to expand.

Relations between Pejanggik and the East Lombok Kingdom of Selaparang were good until political estrangement developed under its ninth king when relations soured at the hands of Pejanggik powerbroker Arya Banjar Getas.

Arya Banjar Getas clashed with the King’s son, Meraja Kusuma, and sought support from the Balinese Kingdom of Karangasem in a war that resulted in the fall of Pejanggik.

The King of Pejanggik was captured and exiled to Karangasem where he later died. Many Pejanggik nobles fled to Sumbawa.

The alliance of King Anak Agung Karangasem and Arya Banjar Getas systematically battered the Lombok kingdoms, one by one, conquering Parwa, Sokong, Langko and Bayan.

Many of the Lombok kingdoms surrendered without resistance and the entire island was conquered in 1740.

Pejanggik village commemorates its heritage with the annual Perat Timbung tradition – a war ritual involving timbung, a Lombok snack made of glutinous long rice. The ritual symbolises society’s obedience to the old kings.

Common opinion is that the tradition stemmed from both internal turmoil within the Pejanggik Kingdom and tension with Selaparang.

At the time, the king’s counsellors advised him to gather his people in a mutual giving of timbung in order to promote unity and friendship.

Today, the annual Perang Timbung ritual is staged along with Sasak cultural exhibitions and parades including traditional percussion music. Unlike the similar Lombok tradition of Perang Topat (Rice Cake War), Perang Timbung is a “war” between men and women.

The village’s history and colourful re-enactments of historical events have attracted international interest. “Tourists are coming to our village to uncover the heritage of the Pejanggik Kingdom,” said village youth leader Ilham.

source:http://www.enchanting-lomboksumbawa.com/

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Lombok Hums With Gili Nanggu Pact For Growth

Lombok has been abuzz with talk and speculation about the proposed “sale” of the beautiful little island of Gili Nanggu off West Lombok’s Sekotong coast.

The hullabaloo has contrasted starkly with Gili Nanggu’s overriding sense of peace and serenity as people have wondered if investment will turn the little island into the flagship attraction to focus tourist attention on scenic Sekotong.

Local government has entered into a 30-year renewable agreement which gives an investment company, PT Istana Cempaka Raya, rights to manage and develop the 14 hectare island paradise.

Nanggu is one of 23 idyllic little islands in West Lombok’s Sekotong area. The largest island is Gede and the smallest and perhaps most stunning is Sepatang. The Sekotong islands are a magnet for tourists, especially foreigners, seeking solitude, serenity and exotic unspoiled nature.

The smiling operators of about 30 local outrigger-style boats wait at Tawun on the Sekotong coast to welcome visitors and whisk them away to paradise on better known islands such as Nanggu, which is closest to the coast, Tangkong and Sudak.

Tawun is about a 60-minute drive from Mataram and while boats can be taken from Lembar Harbour, which is closer to Mataram and the tourist hub of Senggigi than Tawun, time at sea is much longer.

The Tawun boatmen charge Rp200,000 to take six passengers on the 15-minute crossing to the islands. The fee includes life insurance, though sea conditions in the sheltered coastal waters are invariably calm.

A white sand beach extends either side of the timber pier on Gili Nanggu and the view across sparkling ocean to the mainland shows the rolling green hills of Sekotong.

Most visitors make the day trip from either Bali or Senggigi, further north on the West Lombok coast.

Tourist guide Yan, 45, who had escorted 10 Senggigi-based international visitors to Gili Nanggu, suggested Nanggu as an ideal alternative for those wanting to escape the much more crowded atmosphere of popular Gili Trawangan, one of the world-renown Three Gilis in north-west Lombok.

“If it’s crowded on Gili Trawangan then many guests feel far more comfortable here because Nanggu is quiet and beautiful,” he said.

Gili Nanggu has two equally exotic little neighbour islands. Gili Sudak covers about 30 hectares, is rimmed with heavenly beaches and has a restaurant. Uninhabited Gili Kedis is widely known as Honeymoon Island or the Romantic Island.

Nanggu and its neighbours are perfect for diving, snorkelling, exploring beaches and reefs and getting away from crowds and back to nature.


source:http://www.enchanting-lomboksumbawa.com

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Hindu Parade of Giants Unifies a City

   Lombok’s history of religious tolerance and cultural diversity was exemplified by the massive Ogoh-ogoh parade in Mataram on the eve of the Balinese Hindu new year celebration of Nyepi, known as Silent Day.

People from Lombok’s indigenous Sasak community, which is Muslim, joined representatives of the island’s Chinese and other ethnic populations to support and take part in the Hindu parade of giant hand-made effigies of ogres.

The huge, often gruesome effigies are sculpted to represent the Balinese Hindu concept of Bhuta Kala which addresses the immeasurable characteristics of universal strength and time.

On predominantly Hindu Bali, the effigies are paraded on the eve of Nyepi, which this year was on 23 March, and then destroyed before the island plunges itself into silence and darkness for 24 hours in an effort to convince any surviving evil spirits that no one is at home on Bali.

The 24 hours of Hindu fasting, reflection and meditation is held to purify the soul and body and persuade evil influences to leave Bali in peace for the coming year.

While Ogoh-ogoh in Bali remains an exclusively Hindu ritual, in which youth participation is encouraged by official competitions among villages to create the best effigy, in the Lombok capital of Mataram all Hindu communities and others participate in one Ogoh-ogoh parade.

Muslim Sasaks and Chinese of various religions contribute effigies to the procession and assist with organisation and management of the parade which has become an official annual event of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) province.

“Ogoh-ogoh this year was very special and the involvement of so many elements of society epitomised our strong culture of religious tolerance,” said 2012 Ogoh-ogoh Mataram chairman Nyoman Artha Kusuma.

In Bali, individual Hindu communities use Ogoh-ogoh to enact stories from the Ramayana and Mahabharata whose legends feature creatures such as dragons, spiders and crabs.

In Mataram, people’s creative spirit has seen the creation of effigies of fantastic alien creatures and even such modern-day phenomena as the Harley-Davidson motorbike.

Mataram’s Hindus conduct Ogoh-ogoh as a means of warding off natural disaster such as cyclones, landslides and weather conditions that result in reduced crop yields. Through Ogoh-ogoh they seek God’s blessing to protect their environment from natural misfortune.

“We ask that winds which have the strength to sweep away the homes of fishermen are turned into breezes that carry them to good fishing grounds, and that winds with the power to uproot trees become pleasant breezes that cool the residents of the city,” said Artha Kusuma.

The 2012 Mataram Ogoh-ogoh parade theme of Uniting for Equality and Tolerance of Differences allowed those taking part to embrace and express the Indonesian national objective of Unity through Diversity.

Traditional Balinese music was followed by a typical Sasak beleq (drum)   presentation and other ethnic music styles such as cilokak, tawak-tawak and ale-ale.

Officially in its seventh year, Ogoh-ogoh in Mataram this year attracted thousands of spectators and a group of foreigners who joined the parade bearing an effigy of their own.

In predominantly Hindu Bali, activity is severely curtailed in the 24 hours of Nyepi following Ogoh-ogoh. Transport is halted and people stay within their homes to meditate without the use of electricity and machinery. The island is dark and quiet.

On Lombok, Hindu communities voluntarily observe the seclusion of Nyepi at their own discretion, but the island is otherwise open for business.

As a result more and more tourists from Bali as well as non-Hindu residents of the island travel to Lombok, especially to the north-western islands of Trawangan, Meno and Air and to the Senggigi tourist strip, for the Nyepi break.

The annual Nyepi influx from Bali has become an important tourism boon for Lombok. Some resorts offer special Nyepi packages and most report increased occupancy.

source:http://www.enchanting-lomboksumbawa.com

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Fighting with Fire Fosters Forgiveness

      For nearly 200 years, two Hindu communities in Mataram have conducted the lively ritual of Perang Api, or fire war, on the eve of the Balinese Hindu celebration of new year, known as Nyepi or Silent Day.

While Lombok people of many faiths come together on the eve of Nyepi for the colourful Ogoh-ogoh street parade of giant evil effigies, Ogoh-ogoh is a tradition that originates from Bali. The unique tradition of Perang Api belongs to Lombok.

The fire war begins at sunset when hundreds of young men from the two “hostile” communities of Negara Sakah and Sweta, all clutching tied bundles of dried coconut palm leaves, face off against each other in readiness for war.

Once the referee declares war, the dried bundles which have been doused in kerosene are lit and become weapons used to target the bodies of the enemy. Serious burns may result.

Village elders say Perang Api dates back to 1838 when Mataram was ruled by Balinese kings from Karang Asem just across the Lombok Strait.

In the early days Perang Api left the battleground strewn with burned corpses. Today, the two communities believe they are haunted by the smell of burning flesh which they believe is the work of an evil spirit that wants to disrupt their tranquillity.

Hindus in the two communities believe the fire war tradition will protect them from mischief-making and disruptive spirits.

Historically, Perang Api was conducted to expel evil in times of disease which brought death. To eliminate the causes of an epidemic, and deny access to other bad influences, flaming torches were held in all corners of an afflicted area while people chanted “burn.”

“Today Perang Api is a means of self-purification through the medium of fire on the eve of Nyepi,” said Ketut Deswanto of Negara Sakah. Nyepi this year fell on 23 March.

The length of today’s Perang Api ritual is strictly controlled by community leaders to minimise injury. The fact that many participants suffer burns does not detract from the spirit of the event which ends with opposing fighters embracing each other in forgiveness.

Everyone looks happy and there is no intention for revenge.

“Although our bodies may be hurt, we feel very happy,” said Dewa. “I participate in the Perang Api tradition nearly every year.”

source:http://www.enchanting-lomboksumbawa.com

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Bright Sasak Welcome for Cruising Tourists

Young and adult dancers from Lombok’s indigenous Sasak community donned colourful traditional costumes to welcome more the 130 visitors from a luxury cruise ship.

Cruise ships from around the world are calling at Lombok’s Lembar harbour so their passengers can experience some of West Nusa Tenggara’s (NTB’s) exotic scenery and cultural wealth.

Port authority PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Pelindo) III said that French-flagged luxury cruiser L’Austral, which anchored at Lembar on 6 April, was one of 22 cruise liners scheduled to visit the West Lombok port in 2012.

The 142-metre vessel has a capacity for 264 passengers. After it anchored at Lembar at 7am, 132 visitors disembarked to participate in two organised tours of the Lombok mainland.

Some chose an introduction to Lombok’s rich history by visiting significant sites such as the Mandalika traditional market, the temples and gardens at Lingsar and Narmada parks, and the art market at Sayang-Sayang.

Others took advantage of Senggigi beach to enjoy sunbathing, snorkelling and surfing before joining their fellow passengers for lunch at the Senggigi Beach Hotel.

The tours and lunch were organised by Express Reservation Service (ERS) Tours and Travel whose manager, Halis, said it was the first time visitors from the French-flagged vessel had disembarked at Lombok.

L’Austral had called at Lembar before, but only between stopovers at Benoa in Bali and Probolinggo in East Java, where passengers were to visit Mount Bromo, he said.

The challenge for Halis was to arrange worthwhile and convenient activities while staying close to the harbour because of the visitors’ tight schedule.

“The passengers were due back on board at 2pm as L’Austral was due to sail at 3pm, so we could not take them far from the harbour,” he said.

“However, through six French-speaking tour guides and two English speakers, we were able to let the visitors know that there are many other tourist destinations and activities on both Lombok and Sumbawa.”

Halis said while the French tourism market was promising for NTB, the number of French-speaking guides in the province was limited and people would need to be recruited from elsewhere for activities needing more than six guides.

The passengers were welcomed to Lombok with traditional performances of the music and dance of the indigenous Sasak people of the island. “We wanted to create an impression of the characteristics of Sasak culture and community,” said Halis.

L’Austral visited Lombok on a 12-night cruise from Darwin in Australia to Singapore.

source:http://www.enchanting-lomboksumbawa.com

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Lombok on Show at World Travel Event

 FOR THE first time, Lombok tourism was collectively represented in 2011 at London’s World Travel Market – the annual leading global promotional event for the travel and tourism industry.

The intensive four-day event in November gives business-to-business opportunities to present destinations and industry sectors to United Kingdom and other international travel professionals.

This year’s event was the busiest ever, attracting 28,000 visitors which was a five percent increase on 2010 attendance which soared 10 percent over visitor numbers in 2009.

Lombok tourism at the event was represented by the West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) branch of the Indonesia Hotels and Restaurants Association (PHRI); the Lombok Hotels Association and five Lombok resorts.

Lombok’s attendance at the event was supported by Indonesia’s Deputy Minister for Tourism and Creative Economy, Sapta Nirwanda. His London program included a trade show seminar on 8 November titled Wonderful Indonesia in which the Visit Lombok Sumbawa 2012 campaign was promoted along with a program to attract tourism to South Sulawesi.

Overall, the Lombok delegation was successful in presenting the island’s tourism potential to industry operators capable of promoting and sending tourists to the island and to the British and international media.

On behalf of NTB’s branch of PHRI, Santosa Resort & Villas general manager Stephane Servin said while many travel agents at the exhibition responded well to products from throughout Indonesia, they were particular impressed with Lombok’s presence and products.

“Many of them previously knew little of Lombok and were excited to be presented with a ‘new’ market,” said Mr Servin. “Some of the main wholesalers at the travel market commented that it was time to see much more of Lombok at major travel trade events.”
World Travel Market London presents a rare opportunity for the global travel and tourism trade to meet, network, negotiate and conduct business.

Participants therefore gain a competitive advantage for their businesses and are exposed to new developments in the tourism and travel industry.

Lombok resorts which sent representatives to London were Puri Mas Villas, Puri Bunga Cottages, Qunci Villas and Cocotinos Sekotong as well as Santosa.

Puri Mas has two boutique properties a little north of the Senggigi tourist strip; Puri Bunga overlooks Senggigi Bay, Qunci ‘s beachfront boutique property is north of Senggigi; Cocotinos sits on the bay in Lombok’s developing southern destination of Sekotong; and Santosa occupies prime beachfront land at Senggigi.

Lombok tourism operators have responded enthusiastically to broader opportunities to promote travel to the island with the opening of the new Lombok International Airport which can accommodate wide-bodied aircraft.

Charter flights will deliver 4000 Russians directly to Lombok airport for two-week vacations through to May 2012.  And tourism professionals are hopeful that successful low-cost carrier Air Asia will be one of the first airlines to schedule new regular services to Lombok in 2012.


source:enchanting-lomboksumbawa.com

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New Lombok International Airport

Bandara Internasional Lombok BIL (Lombok International Airport) (IATA: LOP, ICAO: WADL) is a new airport on the island of Lombok in Indonesia. It is located approximately 3 kilometres (1.8 miles) from the town of Praya. 

The new airport Bandara Internasional Lombok (BIL) officially opened on October 1, 2011, replacing the present Selaparang Airport (IATA: AMI, ICAO: WADA), which is now officially closed. Indonesia promotes both Lombok and Sumbawa islands as tourist destination second only to Bali, and expects one million passengers by year-end 2012. The Airport is administered by 'PT. Angkasa Pura 1'. 


 With one long runway (more to be added in the future), Lombok International Airport is to accommodate wide-body aircraft and is currently served by airlines offering mainly flights within Indonesia and to Singapore. New airlines with larger aircrafts are expected to join Lombok in the future.


Lombok International Airport has one passenger terminal, presently accommodating 2.4 million passengers a year.


Parking at Lombok International, The carpark occupies presently 17,500 square meters will accommodate widebody high capacity Airbus 330, Boeing 767 airliners as well as smaller aircraft such as Boeing 737 and Airbus 319-320 aircraft already serving Lombok.

  Aerial View of BIL

Toll Gate of BIL

Arrival Gate

Passenger Check-In Area

Check-In Situation

Apron Area of BIL

(Pictures are taken from Flickr)




 This is another picture taken from Youtube

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Weavers meld Tradition with Modern Fashion

  Weaving is an integral part of Lombok society, especially for women, who often practise techniques and create designs handed down from their ancestors.

Traditional weaving and batik craft has survived on Lombok through the ages and, nowadays, is competing admirably in the modern world of fashion.

To prove it, dozens of graceful models saunter along the catwalk, taking turns to spread their garments to full effect before hundreds of pairs of eyes.

Few in the room are strangers to some batik and other clothing and accessories which have been created by a noted local designer. And people recognise typical batik motifs, such as one of spinach leaf.

On show are ranges of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) woven work clothes for men and women and batik fashion wear for men and women.

The occasion is the annual weaving and batik design competition of the National Crafts Council (Dekranasda) NTB, which this year attracted hundreds of fashion designers including some of national repute.

“At this event we are displaying three designs that all are based on patterns of the indigenous Sasak people of Lombok,” said Dekranasda West Lombok representative Muslihan.

Also at Mataram’s Hotel Grand Legi ballroom for the October event, aimed at publicising and attracting wider markets for Lombok’s woven products and batik, were Governor Zainul Majdi and representatives of Indonesia’s Trade Ministry.

Interest was high in the build-up to the long-awaited moment at which Dompu district was judged overall champion for its work with Sasambo (a word representing  NTB’s ethnic Sasak, Samawa and Mbojo people) batik for men’s wear.  Dompu was successful in three categories of work clothes for men.

“We dedicate this victory to all lovers of cloth and batik in our county,” said Dekranasda Dompu chairman Ery Eryani.

In its regional development master plan, NTB has identified the development of creative industries which produce superior products, such as woven and batik goods, as a mean of supporting the priority regional objective of tourism development.

Already, some NTB villages have developed their traditional activities such as weaving to become recognised as leading production centres which attract tourists and benefit community welfare.

“There are 14 sectors of the creative economy that have big advantages and two of them are fashion and woven crafts,” said Dekranasda NTB chairman Zainul Majdi Rabiatul Adawiyah, who is the Governor’s wife. “We are maximising both.”

Earlier this year, the NTB branch of Dekranasda was named third national champion at a modern ethnic weaving competition attended by designers of traditional woven fabrics from all 33 Indonesian provinces.

The competition in Jakarta was conducted simultaneously with a weaving exhibition and fashion show to celebrate the 31st anniversary of the National Crafts Council.

NTB gained third place after Kalimantan and Central Java with its distinctive and exotic woven fabrics from the renowned craft villages of Gumise and Sukarara.

Aspects of judging included authenticity of the product, fusion between traditional local motifs and modernity, and the responsiveness of the design to existing market opportunities.

Being named third national champion was a source of pride for Dekranasda NTB which takes quality local craft products to regional and national events where they gain market exposure and craftsmen can exchange information with their colleagues from other regions.

Earlier this year NTB was chosen, along with West Java, Yogyakarta and Bali, to present its characteristic ketak and cukli woven work at a major Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) exhibition in Tokyo.

source:enchanting-lomboksumbawa.com

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Craftsman’s Vision takes Ketak Offshore

As a Young craftsman of ketak products, Suhartono dreamed of opening his own shop in his own community, to gain better prices for his products and to bring gains to his village.

Ketak is a kind of natural twine which was widely available in the forests of Lombok and which is used for weaving handicrafts such as bags, wallets, jewellery boxes, trays and table mats.

Suhartono, who now owns Mawar Art Shop in the Nyurbaya Gawah community of Batu Mekar village, about 10 kilometres from Mataram in Lingsar district, says the skill of ketak is a legacy inherited by Nyurbaya Gawah residents from their ancestors.

“Almost everyone at Nyurbaya Gawah, which consists of 300 families of three to four people, has the expertise to produce ketak goods,” he said.

The settlement sits on the outskirts of the forest of Argapura – the mountain range that stretches from the Senggigi in the west to Sesaot in the east – and its residents know the forest and how to use its products such as ketak in their daily lives.

“Our ancestors living near the forest took Argapura ketak to make products such as tobacco boxes and fishing creels,” said Suhartono.

Once tourism started to develop on Lombok, the tightly-woven ketak products became a favourite of visitors and the craftsmen extended their product range beyond meeting their own needs.

They produced a variety of souvenirs and other goods that appealed to visitors, and business flourished.

The work of the Nyurbaya Gawah craftsmen is in high demand from people who operate and stock art shops because it is known to be smooth, neat and of high quality.

“No matter how much ketak product we create, we always take orders for it all,” said Suhartono. “As a result, the Nyurbaya Gawah community has benefitted economically.”

As a young man who crafted ketak goods and planned for the future, Suhartono dreamed of setting up his own art shop so that he could achieve better prices for his work by selling directly to tourists and bypassing the middleman.

He also realised that a shop in the craft centre itself would bring visitors directly to Nyurbaya Gawah, create spin-off benefits for the community and support other sectors of its economy.

“My dream was finally realised in 1998,” he said. “With initial capital of only Rp750,000 and with the support of my wife Mawaryanti, I worked hard to set up the Mawar Art shop at home.”

Then, the shop was stocked with items crafted by Suhartono, Mawaryanti and their neighbours.

“Thanks to God, even though my business was small it was constantly growing, so eventually I was able to raise capital,” recalled Suhartono.

“Now, although my shop at home is not large, it has become a central outlet for the Ketak crafts of the community,” he said with pride.

“Prices for ketak items range from Rp2500 up to Rp7.5 million and we are exporting to markets including Australia, Spain, France and the United States as well as selling locally.  We are exploring potential markets in Japan and China.”

As market demand increases, however, the raw material of ketak is becoming more difficult to find on Lombok and is being sourced from Sumba in East Nusa Tenggara province.

“We hope and pray for guidance from the government on how to rejuvenate the plant so we do not exhaust our supplies of the Ketak twine and endanger our successful craft industry,” said Suhartono.

Crafting a ketak product usually takes three of four days. Initially the ketak twine must be smoothed with a small knife, subjected to other processes and then stained using a special method to preserve its natural appearance.

source:enchanting-lomboksumbawa.com

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Yes, Komodo Listed as New7Wonders!

Komodo listed as finalist in new7wondersThe struggle of Indonesian people in the campaign to include Komodo as one of the seven wonders of the world seems not in vain. In the interim results released on www.new7wonders.com, Saturday (11/12/2011), Komodo is listed among the six other winners.

In its website, the New7Wonders mentioned, the results of this calculation can still be changed in line with the ongoing factual computation, including the calculation of voting via sms in each country that has not completed yet.

Previously, the voting officially closed on Friday (11/11/2011) at 11:11:11 GMT. The result is the first tally of voting via the website. Besides Komodo, there are six other wonders of the world, namely the Amazon, Halong Bay, Iguazu Falls, Jeju Island, Puerto Princesa Underground River, and Table Mountain.

They also emphasized, the composition of the seven winners in the site today is not based on rankings, but in alphabetical order. Thus, the information obtained so far, which of the seven wonders of the world who obtained the highest score.

It was mentioned, the official announcement New 7 Wonders winners will be conducted in early 2012 in an official ceremony. Meanwhile, the current process of validation and verification of an independent party on the results of voting either through websites or sms are on going.

Indonesia’s Komodo National Park includes the three larger islands Komodo, Rinca and Padar, as well as numerous smaller ones, for a total area of 1,817 square kilometers (603 square kilometers of it land). The national park was founded in 1980 to protect the Komodo dragon. Later, it was also dedicated to protecting other species, including marine animals. The islands of the national park are of volcanic origin. 

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Rich Heritage In Village Of Tile Makers

NO-ONE in Kumbung Baru really knows how the village acquired the specialist skills they have used to make clay roofing tiles (genteng), only that the craft was handed down through generations as a legacy from their ancestors.

Kumbung Baru, in the Pringgarata district about 10 kilometres from Mataram on the border of West and Central Lombok regencies, is visually indistinguishable from many other Lombok villages, but most of its people are engaged in tile-making.

“When I was a kid, around 1985, all our tiles were made with simple, manual equipment and the product was named genteng kepak (in the Sasak language of Lombok’s indigenous people, kepak means “flap”, or “swinging arms”), said Ruslan Effendi, who owns UD Sari Ayu, one Kumbung Baru’s tile producing businesses.

According to Ruslan, the keys to producing good roofing tiles are diligence, patience and thoroughness.

The first stage in the process of traditional tile-making was to prepare the raw material – the earth (tanah) – from a mixture of two soils.

Soil was taken from common ground in Kumbung Baru, dried in the sun and sifted to obtain a fine soil which was soaked in water for two or three days to produce an extract named Tanah Sari.

This material was mixed with clay soil, named Tanah Liat or Tanah Lempung, which was purchased from the neighbouring village of Bagu, to a ratio of one part extract to two parts clay.

People then stomped on the blend with their bare feet before storing the mixture for a day, according to a villager named Pundung.

The blend of soils was then shaped, with a wooden tool, into tiles which were arranged neatly on high shelving. The following day the tiles were placed in a standing position for one day before being put into the sun to dry and then fired in a furnace for five to six hours.

The traditional tile-making process, from blending the soils until firing was complete, took about one week, said Pundung.

This traditional method was overtaken in 1990 when a tile pressing machine was purchased from either Java or Bali (no one can now remember which) to modernise the process. At the same time, the villagers invested Rp9 million (US$1,000) in a special machine to mix the soils.

While some manual labour was still involved, the traditional method of making genteng kepak clearly was starting to become obsolete.

“Just after we started using the modern equipment, we found different sources for soils used in the blend in order to improve the quality of the product,” said Pundung.

Instead of Tanah Sari, a soil named Tanah Paras was purchased for Rp250,000 a truckload from the pottery village of Banyumulek and from Kuripan village, both in West Lombok.

Clay soil was purchased for Rp350,000 a truckload from Pringgarata village and even from as far as Teratak village in Central Lombok.

Using the modern equipment reduced the tile processing time from a week to three days but required a longer firing time of eight to 12 hours.

“In the process of firing 5,000 tiles, we would spend about Rp550,000 on a truckload of timber and coconut fibre which is a cost of about Rp750 a tile,” said Pundung.

The sale price of the roofing tiles varies according to type of tile, said Pundung, who gave the following prices per tile: Pejaten Rp900; Mantili Rp1,100; Morando Rp1,500; Mini Lombok Rp600; Mini Biasa (normal) Rp700; Bubungan Biasa (ordinary ridge tile) Rp1,500; Bubungan Besar (large ridge tile) Rp2,500; and Bubungan Besar Bundar (large round ridge tile) Rp3,000.

Unfortunately, said Pundung, a government policy for all agencies such as schools and government departments to use a different type of roofing tile for their buildings had badly affected the tile-makers of Kumbung Baru, he said.

Production at the village had declined drastically and many tile-makers had been forced to close due to bankruptcy, he said.

source:enchanting-lomboksumbawa.com

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